Having worked up an appetite after climbing the cliffs of
Moher, we headed to the Doolin Hotel and had a fantastic dinner of locally sourced fare, expertly prepared by
the hotel chef. Just what the doctor ordered!
The next day, fully rested we enjoyed a full Irish Breakfast with
freshly baked scones and muffins made in
house by the excellent pastry chef, just the thing to set us on our way.
As we drove up the
coast the glacial landscape was a sight to behold, large boulders dotted the
fissured limestone on the coastal side while pastoral fields led the way inland. Rare arctic species of flora occupied some of
the fissures creating the illusion of a collection of hundreds of miniature
bonsai gardens.
The ghosts of generations past also accompanied us on our
journey with ancient crumbling
cathedrals, walls and dwellings dotting the landscape.
Further up the road, the landscape changed again with low
lying mountains flanking lush valleys with running streams and meadows, but
there were a few roadblocks on the way…
Driving a little
further, and suddenly the façade of the impressive Kylemore Abbey came into
view, almost perfectly reflected in the lake.
As our guide Susan said, you would have had to have been a bit mad and a
lot rich to undertake a project of this scale in this isolated area!
Although the 3 acre walled garden was not at its peak in
terms of its floral majesty, the layout was impressive indeed and the stories
of the gentry and the staff added to the interest of the the place, and in fact
the undergardeners Bothy will serve as an inspiration for our booth at Canada
Blooms 2014!
The Abbey itself was grand, the architectural details
impressive, although we are quite cross with the Duchess of Manchester for
having removed the Neo-Gothic details at the turn of the century. But we should all be thankful for the nuns
tireless efforts to preserve this rare architectural gem.
Exhausted after a hard day of sightseeing we settled into
Clifden, for another great dinner and a warm comfortable bed.
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